Expedition Types

Our Travel Philosophy

Oceanic Society's mission is to conserve marine wildlife and habitats by deepening the connections between people and nature. We strive to facilitate meaningful, life-changing experiences for our travelers—ones that will inspire them to become more intimately involved in conservation long after the expedition is over.

On the ground in the places we visit, our expeditions support conservation, research, and community development efforts that serve to underpin long-term sustainable relationships between people and the oceans.

By participating in an Oceanic Society expedition, you are more than just another traveler. You are an active participant in our global effort to build a healthy future for the oceans.

We believe that responsibly conducted nature tourism can help save natural areas by contributing financially to conservation and inspiring lasting commitments to conservation among our travelers.

By traveling to the world's parks and reserves, you are helping to protect those wilderness areas by contributing to an economy that is in harmony with conservation. Oceanic Society follows a code of ethics in all of its ecotours and research expeditions.

Why We're Different

Authentic

As a non-profit conservation organization with decades of global experience, our extensive network of staff and conservation partners gives us access to special insights and opportunities that are not available through other travel operators. Our trips are guided by working field biologists, naturalists, and conservationists who are knowledgeable and passionate, and we partner with local residents to enrich their lives as well as yours.

Life Changing

We aim to do more than take you on an amazing trip. We want your travel experience to positively impact your life and inspire you to become an active participant in building a healthy future for the oceans. We select, design, and lead our expeditions around this bold idea, and empower our travelers with the tools and knowledge they need to become part of the growing "oceanic society."

Educational

As lifelong students of nature, we believe that appreciation of the natural world is enhanced through knowledge. Our trip leaders are trained to interpret nature in engaging ways and to provide information that enhances your experience by explaining the science behind the species and habitats you will observe. We also team up with local experts whenever possible to give you opportunities to learn from the latest field research.

Impactful

Travelers with Oceanic Society can rest assured that their travel dollars are well spent. We take great care to partner with travel operators, non-profit organizations, and individuals who share our commitment to preserving the natural world and supporting local community well-being. Moreover, your program fees help support Oceanic Society's global research, conservation, and outreach programs.

Award – Winning

We have earned many awards and recognitions for our travel programs, including:

Official commendation from the California State Senate for "exemplary service to the cause of conservation" through "educational travel programs and wildlife excursions [...] which heighten public awareness of marine mammals and attract personally committed conservationists."

Oceanic Society Expeditions serve more than 3,500 people a year through eco-tourism expeditions, volunteer vacations, and northern California whale watching trips. We are pioneers in eco-tourism and voluntourism and have operated our Expeditions program continuously since 1972.

Every trip booked through Oceanic Society supports ocean conservation, and our programs strive to build the global community of informed advocates for ocean conservation.